Wildlife is not the only menace to home garden fruits, nuts and flowers. All sorts of insect pathogens want their share also. Old fashioned nonselective insecticides can be helpful, but can leave toxic residue. They also eliminate beneficial insects that might help control pathogens. Integrated pest management, or simply IPM, is likely a more practical option.

Integrated pest management involves biological, cultural and physical pathogen control. Biological control can involve introduction of beneficial insects that consume pathogens. Ladybugs or lacewings are available from certain nurseries, for control of certain insects. However, doing nothing but allowing beneficial insects to proliferate naturally may work.

Some types of integrated pest management are standard procedure for home gardening. Cultural control may be as simple as growing varieties that are resistant to certain pests. This also involves not growing varieties that are susceptible to locally problematic pests. Sanitation is merely removal of detritus that some pathogens proliferate or overwinter in.

Physical or mechanical integrated pest management can be as simple as picking snails. Copper tape as a barrier to exclude snails and slugs is more involved but more effective. Sticky barriers, like ‘Tanglefoot’, prevent ants from cultivating aphid. (Ants cultivate aphid for sustenance.) Then, wasps, which are a biological control, control the aphid naturally.

Integrated pest management also includes various insect traps. Wasp traps use bait, like pheromones or sweet aroma, to attract stinging insects. Although they are not a problem for vegetation, stinging insects complicate gardening. Thrip traps attract thrip with yellow color, and trap them in glue. Apple maggot traps resemble developing apples, with glue.

Chemical pesticides are not beyond the realm of integrated pest management. However, such pesticides should be as nontoxic as possible. Furthermore, they should target only very specific pathogens. Although modern pesticides are safer than old fashioned types, they are still poison. They have significant potential to interfere with natural ecosystems.